Rumor mill mucks up Toledo water supply

The City of Toledo water intake crib is surrounded by algae, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, in Lake Erie, about 2.5 miles off the shore of Curtice, Ohio. More tests are needed to ensure that toxins are out of Toledo's water supply, the mayor said Sunday, instructing the 400,000 people in the region to avoid drinking tap water for a second day. Toledo officials issued the warning early Saturday after tests at one treatment plant showed two sample readings for microcystin above the standard for consumption, possibly because of algae on Lake Erie. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – Officials in Toledo, where a Lake Erie algae bloom made the city’s tap water unsafe to drink earlier this month, are fighting rumors that water problems persist.

The Blade newspaper reports that the rumors of another “do not drink” advisory became so persistent on Thursday that the city issued a statement asking residents not to panic.

As the city was issuing the statement, residents were busy buying up bottled water at grocery stores. One man buying four cases at a Kroger store said he’d gotten a text about a pending “do not drink” advisory and also saw “random things on Facebook.”

About 400,000 people were left without clean tap water Aug. 2 to Aug 4 when toxins produced by the algae got into the city’s water supply.